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Abstract:

A mounting apparatus includes a drive bracket assembly, a back panel, and
a securing member. The back panel is mounted to the drive bracket
assembly along a first direction. The securing member is slidably mounted
on the drive bracket assembly. The securing member secures the back panel
to the drive bracket assembly to prevent the back panel moving along the
first direction. The securing member is capable of sliding along a second
direction that is generally perpendicular to the first direction to a
position, so the back panel is capable of moving along the first
direction.

Claims:

1. A mounting apparatus, comprising: a drive bracket assembly; a back
panel mounted to the drive bracket assembly along a first direction; and
a securing member prevents the back panel moving along the first
direction, the securing member is capable of sliding along a second
direction generally perpendicular to the first direction to a position so
that the back panel is capable of moving along the first direction.

2. The mounting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the securing member
comprises an elastic resisting portion, and the drive bracket assembly
comprises a stopper portion configured to abut the elastic resisting
portion; wherein the elastic resisting portion is elastically deformed
when the securing member slides to the position.

3. The mounting apparatus of claim 2, wherein the elastic resisting
portion comprises a flexible portion and a resisting tab extending from
the flexible portion; and the resisting tab is configured to abut the
stopper portion.

4. The mounting apparatus of claim 3, wherein the flexible portion is
V-shaped.

5. The mounting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the drive bracket assembly
defines two sliding slots, and the securing member comprises two arms
engaging with the two sliding slots.

6. The mounting apparatus of claim 5, wherein the drive bracket assembly
comprises two drive brackets, each drive bracket comprises two parallel
side plates, the two sliding slots are defined in two adjacent side
plates of the two drive brackets respectively, and the securing member is
slidably mounted between the two adjacent side plates.

7. The mounting apparatus of claim 6, wherein each arm defines a guiding
surface, the guiding surface configured to guiding the arm to move in the
corresponding sliding slot easily along the second direction.

8. The mounting apparatus of claim 6, wherein the drive bracket assembly
further comprises a top panel connected to the two drive brackets, the
top panel defines an opening between the two adjacent side plates; the
opening defines two opposite side edges, and the securing member defines
two receiving channels configured to receive the two opposite side edges
of the opening.

9. The mounting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the securing member
comprises a securing portion, and the securing portion blocks the back
panel when the back panel is assembled.

10. The mounting apparatus of claim 9, wherein the securing portion
defines an inclining surface, the inclining surface configured to be
urged by the back panel to move to the position when the back panel is
mounted to the drive bracket assembly along the first direction.

11. An mounting apparatus, comprising: a drive bracket assembly
comprising a hook in a rear edge of the drive bracket assembly; a back
panel comprising a locking opening configured to engage with the hook,
the hook is configured to prevent the back panel from moving along a
first direction that is perpendicular to the back panel; and a securing
member slidably mounted on the drive bracket assembly along the first
direction, and the securing member prevents the back panel from moving
along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

12. The mounting apparatus of claim 11, wherein the securing member
comprises an elastic resisting portion, and the drive bracket assembly
comprises a stopper portion configured to abut the elastic resisting
portion; wherein the elastic resisting portion is elastically deformed
when the securing member slides along the first direction to a position
so that the back panel is capable of moving along the second direction.

13. The mounting apparatus of claim 12, wherein the elastic resisting
portion comprises a flexible portion and a resisting tab extending from
the flexible portion; and the resisting tab is configured to abut the
stopper portion.

14. The mounting apparatus of claim 13, wherein the flexible portion is
V-shaped.

15. The mounting apparatus of claim 11, wherein the drive bracket
assembly defines two sliding slots, and the securing member comprises two
arms received in the two sliding slots.

16. The mounting apparatus of claim 15, wherein the drive bracket
assembly comprises two drive brackets, and each drive bracket comprises
two parallel side plates; the two sliding slots are defined in two
adjacent side plates of the two drive brackets respectively; and the
securing member is slidably mounted between the two adjacent side plates.

17. The mounting apparatus of claim 16, wherein each arm defines a
guiding surface, and the guiding surface is configured to guide the arm
to move in the corresponding sliding slot along the second direction.

18. The mounting apparatus of claim 16, wherein the drive bracket
assembly further comprises a top panel connected to the two drive
brackets, the top panel defines an opening between the two adjacent side
plates; the opening defines two opposite side edges, and the securing
member defines two receiving channels that receive the two opposite side
edges of the opening.

19. The mounting apparatus of claim 12, wherein the securing member
comprises a securing portion, and the securing portion blocks the back
panel when the back panel is assembled.

20. The mounting apparatus of claim 19, wherein the securing portion
defines an inclining surface, the inclining surface configured to be
urged by the back panel to move to the position, when the back panel is
mounted to the drive bracket assembly along the second direction.

Description:

BACKGROUND

[0001] 1. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to mounting apparatuses, especially
to a mounting apparatus for securing a back panel.

[0003] 2. Description of Related Art

[0004] Generally, a plurality of large data storage devices is needed in a
server system. It is well known in the art, that the server system cannot
switch off when the data storage devices are being repaired or replaced.
The data storage devices are detached and installed/uninstalled from the
server system while the server system remains online. A back panel is
usually secured to a drive bracket that accommodates the data storage
devices. The data storage devices can electrically connect to the back
panel when installed in the drive bracket.

[0005] Typically in a mounting apparatus for securing the back panel to
the drive bracket, a locking plate is provided to hold the back panel.
The mounting apparatus has a complicated structure, and the manufacturing
cost is high.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. 1 is an exploded, isometric view of a mounting apparatus in
accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, together with a
back panel, the mounting apparatus including a drive bracket assembly,
and a securing member.

[0007] FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1, but viewed from another aspect.

[0008] FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the securing member of FIG. 1.

[0009] FIG. 4 is a pre-assembled view of the mounting apparatus of FIG. 1.

[0010] FIG. 5 is an assembled view of the mounting apparatus of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of
limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like
references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references
to "an" or "one" embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the
same embodiment, and such references mean at least one.

[0012] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a mounting apparatus includes a drive
bracket assembly 10 configured for accommodating devices like data
storage devices, a back panel 13, and a securing member 20. The data
storage devices can be hard disk drives of a computer system or a server
system.

[0013] The drive bracket assembly 10 includes a top plate 12 and a pair of
brackets 11. Each bracket 11 includes a bottom plate 112 and two side
plates 114. The top plate 12 can be parallel to the bottom plate 112. The
side plates 114 can be perpendicular to both the top plate 12 and the
bottom plate 112, and parallel to each other. A mounting portion 116
perpendicularly extends inwards from a top side of each side plate 114. A
plurality of protrusions 1162 protrudes from each mounting portion 116. A
plurality of generally L-shaped hooks 1142 is respectively formed at a
rear end edge of each side plate 114, extending toward the top plate 12.
Each hook 1142 has a shank portion 1145 and a hook portion 1143. The
shank portion 1145 substantially horizontally extends from a rear edge of
the corresponding side plate 114 for supporting the back panel 13. The
hook portion 1143 extends upward from a distal end of the shank portion
1145. The hook portion 1143 has a slanted guiding edge 1146 facing the
side plate 114. Two adjacent side plates 114 of the two brackets 11
define a sliding slot 1144 respectively. An extending portion 1122
extends from a rear end edge of the bottom plate 112 of each bracket 11.
At opposite ends of the extending portion 1122, respectively, a pair of
positioning tabs 1124 are bent upward. Each pair of positioning tabs 1124
defines a positioning opening therebetween. The top plate 12 defines a
plurality of through holes 122 for receiving the protrusions 1162 of the
mounting portions 116 of the side plates 114. An opening 123 is defined
in one side of the top plate 12 adjacent to the back panel 10. A stopper
portion 125 extends from one edge of the top plate 12.

[0014] The back panel 10 has a plurality of locking openings 132 for
engaging with the hooks 1142 of the side plates 114, and an upper edge
134. Each locking opening 132 includes a wide portion and a narrow
portion. Each wide portion has a greater width than that of each narrow
portion. The width of each narrow portion is generally equal to the
thickness of each hook 1142 of the side plates 114.

[0015] Referring also to FIG. 3, the securing member 20 includes a sliding
portion 21, an operating portion 22 extending upward from the sliding
portion 21, a securing portion 23 extending forward from the operating
portion 22, and an elastic resisting portion 24 extending backward from
the sliding portion 21. Two elastic arms 211 extend forward from the
sliding portion 21. Each arm 211 includes a sliding protrusion 212. The
sliding protrusion 212 defines a guiding surface 213. The elastic
resisting portion 24 includes a flexible portion 241 and a resisting tab
242 extending from the flexible portion 241. The resisting tab 242 is
configured to resist against the stopper portion 125. The flexible
portion 241 is V-shaped. A plurality of operating protrusions 221
protrudes from the operating portion 22. The securing portion 23 defines
an inclining surface 231. Two receiving channels 25 are defined between
the sliding portion 21 and the operating portion 22. The receiving
channels 25 are configured to receive opposite side edges 1231 of the
opening 123 respectively.

[0016] Referring also to FIGS. 1 to 5, in assembly, the protrusions 1162
of the mounting portions 116 of the brackets 11 are engaged with the
through holes 122 of the top plate 12. The arms 211 of the securing
member 20 are aligned with the sliding slots 1144, and the guiding
surface 213 of the sliding protrusions 212 of the arms 211 resist between
two adjacent side plates 114. The securing member 20 is pushed forward to
deform the arms 211. When the sliding protrusions 212 move to be aligned
with the sliding slots 1144 respectively, the arms 211 release and enable
the sliding protrusions 212 to be received in the sliding slots 1144. At
this time, the resisting tab 242 resists against the stopper portion 125.
The receiving channels 25 of the securing member 20 receives the opposite
side edges 1231 of the opening 123. The hook portions 1143 of the hooks
1142 of the bracket 11 are inserted into the locking openings 132 of the
back panel 13 through the wide portions thereof. The back panel 13 is
pushed to move towards the bottom plate 112 of the bracket 11 along the
guiding edges 1146 of the hooks 1142 in a vertical direction parallel to
the back panel 13. The back panel 13 is pushed down continually, until it
is inserted into the positioning openings and sandwiched between the
positioning tabs 1124 of the extending portion 1122 of the bottom plate
112. Then the shank portions 1145 of the hooks 1142, are slid into the
narrow portions of the locking openings 132, and the hook portions 1143
of the hooks 1142 clamp against an outer surface of the back panel 13,
thereby preventing the back panel 13 from moving along a first direction
perpendicular to the back panel 13. At the same time, the securing
portion 23 of the securing member 20 engages with the upper edge 134 of
the back panel 13, thereby fixing the back panel 13 to the drive bracket
assembly 10, and preventing the back panel 13 from moving along a second
direction perpendicular to the first direction. The back panel 13 is thus
secured to the drive bracket assembly 10.

[0017] In removal of the back panel 13, the operating portion 22 of the
securing member 20 is pushed along a direction opposite to the first
direction to disengage the securing portion 23 of the securing member 20
from the upper edge 134 of the back panel 13, thereby releasing the back
panel 13. The back panel 13 can be accordingly slid along the second
direction until the hooks 1142 are positioned in the wide portions of the
locking openings 132 of the back panel 13. The back panel 13 is
disengaged from the positioning opening of the drive bracket assembly 10,
and can thus be removed from the drive bracket assembly 10.

[0018] It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous
characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set
forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the
structure and function of the disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative
only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape,
size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to
the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in
which the appended claims are expressed.